Rockies Make Crucial Manager Position Decision Prior to 2026 Season

The Colorado Rockies have much work to do to get back to being competitive, and in 2026, they will start the process by making a decision with their manager.
Aug 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer (32) watches on from the infield as he team warms up for a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Aug 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer (32) watches on from the infield as he team warms up for a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Allan Henry-Imagn Images
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The Colorado Rockies are in the middle of what could end up being a full-scale rebuild, with a new president of baseball operations to run things, and some early roster moves. Signs point to a pretty intensive overhaul. After the season they had in 2025, one of the worst in MLB history, it was certainly necessary to make multiple changes heading into 2026.

One of the big decisions that remained after the front office shakeup was figuring out the manager position, and whether or not interim manager Will Schaeffer was someone the franchise believed in enough to keep for another year, or would look to replace. The decision would have to come pretty quickly, given that the winter meetings are growing closer, and roster moves are next up on the docket.

So, with only a few weeks left until then, a decision has been made at the manager spot, and after many other franchises have looked to hire new ones this offseason, the Rockies have also made their call on whether or not to retain Schaeffer for 2026.

Will Schaeffer Be Retained by the Rockies for the 2026 Season?

Colorado Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer walks to the dugout after speaking to an umpire, wearing a black hoodie and hat.
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After taking over for Bud Black last season, after he was fired on May 11, Schaeffer did everything he could to get things back on track after a slow start. Unfortunately, the roster was just not all that impressive, and he was unable to get back to somewhere near relevancy. Regardless, he did what he could and was able to get a few productive moments out of a few key players. For that, he will be retained through 2026 by Colorado, shedding his interim tag.

This shows that the franchise has faith in him to be the man to help turn things around on the player side of things and that they trust him to make the right calls with the roster once it is put together. Obviously, there will be a lot of choices made this winter to try to improve the roster for him, so giving him an opportunity to work with an improved group is worth the effort.

Given there had already been a significant number of manager changes this offseason, it is likely the right choice to keep Schaeffer for the time being, and if they truly want a replacement at some point, look to find one during next offseason when more become available. For now, though, Schaeffer is their guy, and it will be intriguing to see how he handles the new front office expectations.


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Jeremy Trottier
JEREMY TROTTIER

Jeremy Trottier started his writing journey with WBLZ Media, and has worked through multiple publications with 247Sports, USA Today, Fansided, SBNation and others. He is an avid fan of motorsports and most sports in general, and has completed a degree in sports management to further understand the sports industry. During his time with sports media, he has been credentialed for coverage of Boston College sports, and can often be found attending their football and basketball games as well as expected coverage of their men’s soccer team in the near future. Sports are a large part of his life and career, as he looks to pursue a full time role within the industry someday.